Regardless if you and your family are home, burglaries and break-ins have a major impact on everyone’s sense of safety and well-being. It’s the most common threat for homes. It’s also the easiest crime to prevent! In the US alone, a burglary happens every 15 seconds.

Here are a few easy steps to help prevent your home from being burglarized.

• Check your doors locks – Burglars look for homes that are easy to break into. They know by just looking at your locks if they can pick it. If they don’t have the tools to open a high security lock, they’ll go somewhere else.  The garage door and the back door are the easiest ways to get in. So, make sure those doors are always locked.
• Secure sliding glass doors – The best way to secure sliding glass doors is with a latch. But that’s not enough. Also place a sturdy stick into the track or use a track-blocker like a charley bar.
• Secure windows – In addition to latching the window shut, make it more secure by adding a secondary blocking device, like a stick, or an anti-life device.
• Eyes wide open – Build a trusting relationship with your neighbors so that you can keep an eye on each other’s homes.
• Show signs of life – Burglars will scout your house to break-in if it looks vacant.  A home is more vulnerable at night when all lights are off.  So, keep a façade that says someone is home. The easiest way to do it is by putting in light timers to turn on interior lights.

Read more prevention tips.

Free home security evaluations

The Sheriff’s Office also offers free home security walk-throughs. Our experts will recommend ways you can increase safety in and around your home. To make an appointment please call 303.660-7544.